The decision comes in the wake of Monday night’s preseason loss to the Washington Redskins in which both Hoyer and rookie Johnny Manziel struggled.

In the news release, first-year Browns coach Mike Pettine said Hoyer “was the clear leader from the beginning.”

“We’ve maintained all along that if it was close, I would prefer to go with the more experienced player,” Pettine said. “Brian has done a great job in the meeting rooms and with his teammates on the practice field and in the locker room.”

Hoyer completed only 2 of 6 passes for 16 yards Monday night. In the Browns’ two preseason losses, he is 8-for-20 for 108 yards and hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass. He has a passer rating of 57.9.

Manziel hasn’t been much better.

The rookie from Texas A&M was 7-for-16 for 65 yards and a TD — a short shovel pass to Dion Lewis — at Washington. In the preseason, Manziel is 14-for-27 for 128 yards, with a passer rating of 77.4.

Pettine, who said he informed the players of his decision Wednesday morning, said Hoyer won the job because of his “body of work” in practices and the games.

Combined, the two quarterbacks have accounted for 19 points on 17 possessions in the preseason. Manziel has been on the field for nine drives that have produced 10 points, and Hoyer has led the team to nine points on eight possessions.

Hoyer will start the Browns’ preseason home opener on Saturday, Aug. 23, against the St. Louis Rams. That night, the Browns will unveil the first phase of their $120 million renovations to FirstEnergy Stadium.

Hoyer tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the Browns' 37-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 3, 2013. Prior to that, he had been productive in about nine quarters of work — throwing for 615 yards, five TDs and three interceptions.

Pettine said he believes "a lot of people discount" the fact that Hoyer is coming back from a major injury.

"Really, these are his first, essentially, 20-25 plays of live work back from it, and he’s only going to get better.”

“We are pleased with where he is, and he has shown that he has come a long way in his ability to pick up the playbook, be coachable and lead an offense," Pettine said. "We are confident that Johnny is going to have a great future, but we just felt that Brian still had a decided edge on him.”

Hoyer will start the Browns' regular-season opener at Pittsburgh on Sept. 7. The game marks the start of a difficult three-game stretch before the Browns' bye week in which the team follows the matchup against the Steelers by playing the New Orleans Saints at home and the Baltimore Ravens on the road.